What I See From Above
by TheModernWorks
Summary: Eponine dies at the barricade in Marius' arms, just like she wanted. When she enters heaven, she finds the best of the best things in the world. When God gives her a chance to be reborn, she accepts it. Suddenly, someone unexpected enters her life, changing her view of the world forever.
1. Chapter 1: Say Goodbye

"Took the letter like you said, I met her father at the door. He said he would give it to her." Eponine whispered quietly. Marius looked down and gasped at her appearance.

"What's wrong? Eponine, you're hurt! You need some help!" Marius cried sadly. He almost knew that she wouldn't make it through the night. And he had forced her to do the task that had earned her death. If she died, he would never have forgiven herself. Eponine smiled, like she could read his miserable thoughts.

"Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius, I don't feel any pain. You're here, that's all I need to know. And you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close." Eponine gasped in pain from the bullet wound. The blood was still flowing out at a steady speed. Marius felt so scared. His best friend could be gone in minutes.

"But you will live, 'Ponine, dear god above! If I could heal your wounds with words of love!" Marius sobbed. She was like a sister to him in every way, he couldn't lose her right now!

"Just hold me now and let it be. Shelter me, comfort me!"

"You would live a hundred years, if I could show you how. I won't desert you now…"

"The rain can't hurt me now. This rain will wash away what's past!" Eponine whispered. Her past was something she dreaded to live in, and dying would finally get rid of the horrid memories. A tear fell on her cheek. But this was death, so different from just forgetting, she would never be able to see happiness ever again. Unless she went to heaven. "And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. I'll sleep in your embrace at last!"

Marius couldn't believe what he had heard. Was Eponine admitting her love for him? This made him cry even harder, for breaking his best friend's heart by making her deliver letters to his beloved.

"The rain that brings you here, is heaven blessed! The skies begin clear, and I'm at rest. A breath away from where you are, I've come home, from so far." Marius knew Eponine was now talking about god. She could see him, reaching out for her, greeting her towards heaven and death.

"Hush a bye, dear Eponine, you won't feel any pain. A little fall of rain, can hardly hurt you now. I'm here."

"That's all I need to know! And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close." Eponine's breathing became ragged and short. "And rain. Will make the flowers…" With those words, the light died from her warm, brown eyes. Marius gasped and sobbed.

"Grow." He finished the sentence that she had meant to say. Marius held the cold body closer to his, as if his body heat would bring her back to life. He picked up his hand and shut her eyes, so it looked like she was just in a peaceful sleep. Bringing her inside the Café Musain, he placed her on the table. She was the first to fall.

"Firers!" cried Courfeyrac's voice from the top of the barricade. Through the café window, Marius saw Courfeyrac jump down and grab his gun, as well as some ammunition and gunpowder which was laying underneath a box. Marius scrambled out the door and grabbed his gun as well. After running towards the pile of furniture, he let all his anger out.

"That was for Eponine!" Marius shouted over the sounds of the firing guns, as he killed three guards. Suddenly, his breath hitched in his throat. He once again felt melancholy, and slumped over back to a corner. He had killed three people without mercy. One of those guards had killed Eponine. He had experienced four deaths in one day! All this misery was too much for him, Eponine was gone, and now Cosette. Cosette, his beloved had been whisked away by her father all the way to England, where Marius could almost never see her again.

It was all these things that weighed down on him. All those crimes, escapes, thieveries, stolen possessions, and deaths that pushed down on Marius' life.

Like crimes. Eponine's father, Thenardier, had once tried to steal from him, but Eponine had stepped in her father's way. That night, Marius had heard the screams coming from the room next door. He had pulled his blanket over his ears to block the sound out, but knew that girl had done him a huge favor.

Like escapes. Eponine had run away from her terrible excuse for a family, first stopping at Marius' house. She had spent the night there, crying her eyes out about leaving her sister, Azelma, and how she was worried that Azelma might get beaten.

Like thieveries. Marius knew that Eponine had thieved many times before for her father, so she could live.

Like stolen possessions. Eponine pickpocketed, he knew that, he wasn't stupid.

And like deaths. Just moments ago, Eponine's light and warmth had faded in his very arms, the large, brown orbs looking up at him in adoration as she admitted her love for him.

Marius realized something. All of his thoughts led him to think of the street gamine, the dirty, underfed girl who wandered the streets looking for money to feed not only herself, but Azelma and possibly Gavroche if he accepted the hard earned money. Eponine had led Marius to his Cosette, and he never thought that it would break her fragile heart.

Eponine had been a strong girl on the outside, but as strong as a mouse on the inside. It wasn't fair to her that Cosette had had everything she had ever wanted, while Eponine had to live in poverty. Beatings. Heartbreak.

Suddenly, Cosette didn't matter anymore. It was all Eponine, the little puppy who followed him around. He loved her as sister, nothing more. Or was it? He fought himself, a war between two different types of love. Then he decided.

He loved her more than just a sister, but alas, it was too late.


	2. Chapter 2: Where I Truly Find Happiness

Eponine could see a bright, white light above her as she felt her soul being lifted up and up, each minute seeming to bring more joy and happiness upon death. She felt so light and free, like she could do anything her heart desired. Even though there was no one, she felt loved and cared for, like someone was watching over her. Eponine felt like a child no more than three, where a mother hugged her dearly, love and care being emitted.

She hadn't had the chance to look down yet, to see the battle raging on and on. Eponine slowly glanced downward. Gunshots rang through the air. She was rising up and up, making things hard to see clearly. Eponine was able to distinguish a few familiar faces. Combeferre. The man who thought himself so philosophical, like Plato. Courfeyrac. The light if the Amis. Grantaire. The one with the drinking problem, Eponine didn't really know anything else about him. Enjolras. The leader if the revolution, the one who got her into this mess in the first place. And Marius. Her beloved.

She looked around for any other people who she knew that were either hiding, or dead. A flash of light brown hair just like Marius' caught her eye. She squinted. The boy looked like Marius' age, he was quite handsome, too. Hullo, Joly. The poor, distraught boy ran and ran for cover, in his little make shift hospital located in the wine shop. Next to the wine shop was the Café Musain, the place where the boys had talked about tomorrow. She didn't know if tomorrow would ever come, though.

Scattered across the Café's floor were little tables, and around the tables were little wooden stools. Almost all of the tables and chairs were overturned, but one surface in the center still stood upright. On it, lay a lit, but dim, candle, and next to it lay… What was that? A body. From Eponine's distance, she couldn't make out the person, but she could see a few details.

The dead figure had ragged clothes, and arms that were skinny as a stick. Its ribs were protruding from the worn out cloth, the person must have been so starved! Eponine felt sorry for him or her. It had a mane of long, tangled, dark brown hair that almost looked black. It looked way too familiar, Eponine swore that she had seen the person more than once or twice. It was almost as if she knew him or her! It was when Eponine glanced at herself she realized whom she had been feeling sorry for all along.

Herself. Even though she was wearing a beautiful white dress fit for heaven, her transformation for her destination was still not complete. Years of starvation and beatings were still melting away, her arms were long, but very thin that you could see her bones. Yes, it was unfair that she had suffered that life, but she was about to start a new one. One where she could enjoy every minute she lived in the Utopia she was about to enter.

Finally, the view of the barricade disappeared into the mist, leaving Eponine with an empty feeling. She probably wasn't going to see any of her friends again if the survived, which she wanted them to, but at the same time, she didn't. If they died, she could have company in heaven. Then she suddenly felt selfish. What kind of a person would want their friend to die?

Eponine kept rising up. Finally, when she saw a surface, she grabbed hold of it, clambering onto the soft, but surprisingly real, ground. She took a step, and practically bounced in midair. Another step. Bounce. A figure appeared in the thick mist, wearing some sort of a dress. Eponine couldn't tell whether it was a woman or a man, but nevertheless, he or she glowed.

The closer she got, the more she could make out. Eponine saw that the figure was indeed a man, and he really was glowing. A golden aura seemed to be emitted from him. His arms were spread out wide, as if welcoming her to the new world she had discovered. Eponine couldn't remember the name at first, but when she saw him, the word came hitting her straight in the head. God. He was always there for man when they needed it the most.

"Welcome, Eponine." God said kindly. There seemed to be a bright ring to his voice, and he smiled widely. Eponine realized that he had not said her last name, knowing that the few letters were just a disgrace in her mind. God turned away, and with a swish of his arms, a golden gateway appeared.

"Enter, and behold your new life." He ordered. Eponine took a quick peek inside. It was all white, she couldn't see anything! "You know, you won't see anything until you enter, daughter." Eponine took a deep breath and placed one foot inside the arch. Then the other. Finally, she pulled her whole self in, and what she saw wasn't amazing, but she felt amazing. It felt as if she had been dosed in cool, icy water and had woken up fully to the brand new world around her.

Heaven was Paris, complete with the palace, worn down buildings, and flags. It looked exactly like the Paris below her! Eponine ran into the city, gazing about the new place. Suddenly, an idea struck her. If this was exactly like her Paris that she knew, that meant that her old home would be here, free of her father. She navigated her way through the streets. There it was. The old Gorbeau house. The run down, decaying building.

Eponine stepped inside, hearing the floorboards creak under her feet. A figure came rushing at her. Eponine was so surprised, that she fell backwards. The impact on the floor didn't hurt. When she looked up to see who it was, the blonde hair in front of her stunned Eponine.

"'Ponine!" Azelma cried, throwing her arms around her lost sister. Eponine couldn't believe it. Azelma had died during one of their father's harshest beatings for Eponine. The poor blonde couldn't stand seeing her older sister being hurt on a daily basis, so she had thrown herself in front of her. The rest was a blur for Eponine, but the next thing she knew, Azelma's cold body had been in her hands, and tears were falling down Eponine's cheeks. That had only been last year.

"'Zelma! Come! Let's explore the streets!" Together, they ran outside. Eponine pulled Azelma through the alleys, there were no one to be afraid of this time. Finally, they stopped in front of a familiar building. Café Musain. To Eponine's surprise, there was a pile of furniture there.

The barricade! The place where she had died just so Marius could live. Azelma skipped after her as they climbed the pile. Eponine grabbed a flag and held it up high. This heaven would be where she finally found peace and happiness.


	3. Chapter 3: The Barricade Falls

The soldiers retreated, leaving a sea of dead men still armed with their guns. It started to rain, and Enjolras could see Marius bent over on the concrete. He walked over to the suffering man.

"Marius, I'm truly sorry about that girl."

"That girl has a name!" Marius cried out. Enjolras raised his eyebrows. It was probably his Colette again.

"Let me guess. Colette, Curette, Courgette, whatever her name was." Marius felt like slapping Enjolras. The leader could remember everything a revolution needed, but he couldn't remember the name of one girl, and that one girl who Enjolras thought Marius was thinking about was not really the girl he thought Marius was thinking about. If that made any sense.

"It's Cosette! Plus, that's not who I was thinking about. It's Eponine."

"Who's that?"

"She's the one who followed me around everywhere. She just confessed her love to me, and I just realized I love her. Enjolras, what have I done? I made her deliver letters to someone else I thought I loved, for goodness sake!" Marius cried. Enjolras put his hands up.

"Don't ask me. I don't know anything about love. You should be going to Grantaire or Courfeyrac for that matter." Marius glared at the blonde. On the barricade, Feuilly pulled out a wine bottle and started to sing to calm down the rest of the revolutionaries. He was quite good.

"Drink with me, to days gone by. Sing with me, the songs we knew." He started while popping open the top. The rest of the Amis joined.

"Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads." Prouvaire sang.

"Here's to witty girls who went to our beds." Joly chuckled. Everybody else laughed as well.

"Here's to them, and here's to you!" they all joined in.

"Drink with me, to days gone by. Can it be, you fear to die? Will the world remember you when you fall? Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?" Grantaire mused thoughtfully. Marius felt a tear slip down his cheek. It was true. No one would remember you when you died.

"Do I care if I should die? Yes, she risked her life for me! Life without 'Ponine means nothing at all. Will you see, 'Ponine, if I were to fall? Will you weep, 'Ponine, for me?" Marius cried.

"Soldiers approaching the barricade!" Courfeyrac yelled. Combeferre threw down guns to everybody, and Enjolras lead them to their places. "They have cannons!"

At those words, everybody froze. Cannons meant that soldiers were certainly going to storm the place. Their barricade would be blown up! The sound of footsteps grew louder.

"Shoot the cannon people!" Enjolras ordered. The Amis fired their guns at thee approaching guards. The people wheeling the cannons went down, but reinforcements appeared behind them, taking their place.

"And, FIRE!" the head guard shouted. A cannonball exploded into the barricade. Debris was scattered all over the floor, and dust settled on the men. People scattered, but some remained shooting. Soldiers started climbing the barricade. Enjolras panicked, and told his remaining friends to go inside the café. He searched with Marius for a piece to barricade the door. Marius got shot, and Enjolras helped him up. The volunteer, also known as Valjean, took the injured boy into his arms.

Enjolras barricaded the door and beckoned for everybody to come upstairs. They obeyed, but while they tried to make their escape, a pounding at the door sounded. The soldiers were trying to break through!

Gunshots came from outside, and soldiers were streaming in through the ruined and destroyed barricade. A group of college boys ran up the stairs of the Café Musain and onto the top floor.

They didn't know that there were soldiers underneath them, ready to shoot from the bottom floor. Courfeyrac whimpered in fear, and Joly was shaking madly, muttering facts about medicinal herbs which Enjolras found totally unnecessary at the particular moment. They stood rock still until they heard the voice of the head soldier calling out a command.

"FIRE!" Shots rang out, and everybody around Enjolras collapsed, dead, except for him. He was terrified now, did he really have to die alone? No. Out of the corner of his eye, Enjolras saw the red flag that represented his revolution. The slapping of shoes against wood was getting louder. The National Guard was getting closer to him, which meant Death was ready to take his life.

"There he is! Shoot him!" shouted the head guard. Suddenly, a figure came lumbering out of the shadows. Grantaire strolled towards him, obviously not afraid of death. He whispered into Enjolras' ear.

"When they say fire, jump out the window and run." Enjolras was about to question this when he heard the cue.

"FIRE!" another set of bullets came flying, but Grantaire shielded Enjolras while the blonde jumped out the window. There was no going back now. Grantaire had died for him, even though Enjolras had wanted to die himself. Enjolras fell through the air. He breathed in the smell of gunpowder, bringing back the horrid thoughts of his dead friends.

Everybody had died, except for him, and maybe Marius. Enjolras ran and ran through the streets, not even knowing where he was going but trying to steer clear of soldiers. The sounds of shooting ceased, the National Guard probably realized that there was no one left at the barricade to shoot. Where to go?

He decided to go back to his flat. It supplied everything he needed, and maybe Enjolras needed to disguise himself when he went public. The people wouldn't see him as a hero, but a criminal. He would always be the bourgeois bad guy in their minds.

As Enjolras walked, he thought about how he didn't get shot, which was very lucky, but he had some wounds and scars that could never be closed. He would be scarred with the thought of his dying friends.

Those were the words that came to his mind as Enjolras passed out on the pavement below him, right next to the Seine.


	4. Chapter 4: Greet Gavroche

"I've almost got you! Wait! Oh!" Azelma cried as she tripped on a loose cobblestone in the street. Her face didn't show an expression of horror as it used to; usually they would be afraid of a carriage coming their way. Not in heaven. It was perfect there; they never went hungry, thirsty, or felt cold. Cuts would heal instantly, everybody had a beautiful home, no matter how much space Paris limited. God built more and more. Everybody was healthy and living well.

Eponine and Azelma had been playing tag, a game both had remembered from their better childhood. It was one game that the young Eponine and Azelma would play on a daily basis.

Eponine ran to Azelma to assist her in helping her up. The blonde accepted her hand, and pulled herself into Eponine's arms. "I'm so happy to see you again, I thought I never would." Eponine murmured into her ear. Azelma smiled against her shoulder.

"Always believe in God. If you do, you could actually have a better after life." Azelma replied, pulling away. It was Eponine's turn to smile.

"I think I have believed this whole time without knowing it. Come on, let's visit the barricade." The two girls ran off towards the Café Musain. They stopped, aweing at the high pile in front of them for the second time.

A sudden sound of laughter came from behind the barricade. Eponine jumped. It sounded so familiar. The laughter came again, faintly closer. Azelma squeezed Eponine's arm.

"Is that... Is it really..." Azelma left off. Eponine's face was a mask of worry. The laughter belonged to Gavroche, their little brother. Eponine hoped that he hadn't just died on the streets because of hunger, or had been run over by a carriage. There were so many possibilities that could explain death. Eponine shook her head, clearing her thoughts but still focusing on her little brother. When her vision cleared, Eponine saw Azelma climbing the barricade.

"What are you doing?" Eponine shouted. Azelma looked down at her and grinned. Eponine took hold of a chair leg and hoisted herself up. The blonde waited for her patiently while still talking.

"I'm going to investigate who it was laughing. I sounded like Gavroche, but you can't be certain." Eponine reached Azelma.

"I really hope it isn't him, but at the same time, I really want him here." Eponine remarked. "Would you want your brother dead? But if you're dead, then you'd want him to be with you. Ugh!"

"Let's see who it is, then!"

They climbed the rest of the barricade, looking down at the other side. They were in for a surprise. Eponine gasped. There, waving at her, were Courfeyrac, Jehan, Feuilly, and Lesgles. The last person brought tears to Eponine's eyes. Still holding a bag of bullets stood Gavroche, smiling broadly at her. The little boy came sprinting at her, arms wide open. Eponine climbed down, with the help of Azelma, to greet him.

"Gavroche! You silly boy! I'm so happy to see you! How did you die, though?" Eponine inquired. Gavroche blushed with shame.

"I went to the barricades, Eponine. Right after you died. I assumed they needed a replacement for you. I could hear your voice in my head saying not to do it, not to go do something foolish at the barricade. Still, I wanted to avenge your death. Kill the soldier that killed you. When I heard that they needed more bullets, I volunteered because I thought I was small enough. I collected seven bags of bullets and gunpowder and threw them over the barricade before the soldiers noticed me. I got shot two times, one in the arm, and one in the leg. The third shot killed me. I'm so sorry, Eponine. I disobeyed you and faced death." Gavroche mourned.

"At least I got to see you again. That's all that really matters. All three of us are together once more, and those were the happiest times; the times where we all were able to play and laugh together. Yes, I regret your death, it's sad in the real world, but here in heaven, it's one of the best things for me to see you again." Eponine said happily.

"Me too. I really missed you guys. One year in heaven all alone being with other dead people in Paris that you don't know can be really boring sometimes. I'm really glad you're here." Azelma chimed in.

"Hi, Eponine." Courfeyrac greeted warmly. "I'm so glad we see each other again. I hated to see you die."

"I hated it too." Jehan spoke up. "I wrote a poem about it to remind us all about how sad it was. Here" Eponine accepted the paper. Her mother, Madame Thenardier, had taught her to read at her early ages. She still remembered. The poem went like this:

The girl who laid upon the lap of a boy,  
Sang softly to him while falling to sleep.  
Her eyelashes and hair dotted with misty rain,  
the words were a memory to keep.

The rain continued to fall,  
the sky crying like tears from the eye,  
we all sang that night,  
our melody a soothing lullaby.

We all remember her name,  
because she was much braver than she seemed,  
the girl who was in love with Marius,  
The girl named Eponine.

"Jehan..." Eponine breathed. "That was so beautiful. Thank you so much, I loved it. You have such a talent for poetry!" The poet blushed deeply.

"Thank you Eponine. Under all those rags and coats of dirt, I think you were beautiful girl underneath, inside and out." Jehan complimented softly. It was Eponine's turn to blush. She placed her arms around Gavroche and Azelma.

"I'm perfectly content here with all my friends and family. They're all I need for this heaven, whether it's hell or here." Eponine commented. Azelma snuggled closer, her blonde curls crunched against Eponine's white dress.

"I'm so glad we're all happy." Feuilly put in. "I was so happy in Poland." Everybody laughed.

"Hey, where's Grantaire, Combeferre, Joly, and Enjolras?" Eponine suddenly asked. The stares turned to her.

"Well, if they're not here, they're living right now, aren't they?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Reality of My Mind

Eponine walked down the fairly empty streets of heavenly Paris. Her footsteps echoed off of the buildings. Suddenly, a blinding light filled her eyes.

When her eyes cleared, Eponine saw a person. There was God, standing there with his golden aura. Eponine did a slight bow, but he laughed.

"There's no reason why you shouldn't treat me like all your other friends. However, there is always a friend or two in need. When they need you the most, you should be there. However, you aren't there right now. What would your choices be?" God asked knowingly. Eponine sighed.

"I don't know. Send them signs?" she suggested hopefully. God shook his head.

"No. Try again."

Eponine thought harder this time. If you really wanted to help them, you would have to be on earth again. If you wanted to be on earth again, you would have to be...

"Reborn. You would have to be reborn. Isn't that the answer? Rebirth?" Eponine asked. God looked impressed.

"You're smart, usually a gamine wouldn't even have the strength to think that." he commented.

"You don't know the power of your own place. Heaven grants us new knowledge. What happens down there happens to our world as well. The barricade? Up here too."

"I placed it there."

"Because it matches the real world!"

"It was for your own comfort and the comfort of others."

"My comfort was seeing what I saw in my real life before. That's why."

"Anyways. Rebirth. Someone down there needs you, and you can help them. I know you can. Quite a few people, actually. I'm granting you a rare thing." God said mysteriously.

"Who is it? Please! Tell me!" Eponine pleaded. God smiled.

"Goodbye, Eponine. I wish you a happy and new life. Just remember, I'll always be there to help you."

With those words, God waved his hand once around in a circle, and Eponine's world went black.

* * *

When the light began to appear again, Eponine found herself sitting upright on a wooden table. That was right. Marius had placed her body on a table in the Café Musain. That's where she was right now. She rubbed her eyes, and slipped off the table.

It felt strange being reborn. It was like starting anew on the old body. Brushing a few stray dark brown locks from her eyes, Eponine made her way out the door. The barricade was in ruins. At least God had been kind enough to keep this disaster from heaven. The barricade was still up in heaven.

Wood was strewn everywhere; the remains of antique furniture. Cabinet doors were thrown against walls, chair legs were split in at least two pieces. The scattered bodies of soldiers lay on the ground, still dressed in their blood-stained uniform. Badges hung from sashes of cloth along their uniform jacket; pieces of metal now worth nothing to them since they were dead.

Eponine thought about where these soldiers would be when they entered heaven. Would they be strolling down the halls of the palace? Probably. It was their duty. However, all those soldiers must have had a family somehow. Family.

Eponine realized her mistake too late. She had gone off to be reborn and, without thinking, left get two siblings behind as well as her other friends. Oops. Eponine missed them already. Picking herself off of the ground, Eponine looked around for any signs of her dead friends. If they were in heaven, surely they were dead, right? Then where was the body?

A flash of blue caught her eye. Eponine whipped around, seeing a line of dead bodies all in a row. Aha. She made her way over there, stumbling upon a few soldiers she didn't notice were there. The first sight surprised her quite a bit.

There, with his hair splayed out and blue jacket messily put on, lay Gavroche, her brother. He was in heaven right now, probably looking for Eponine. A tear fell down her grimy cheek. Eponine brushed it away. She abandoned her two siblings. What a wonderful sister she was.

Moving down the line, Eponine saw a bunch of people she had known from her past experiences in town. Apparently they had joined the revolution. Someone had led them and his friends all to death. Enjolras. The stupid bastard was responsible for getting Gavroche killed. If Enjolras hadn't been so passionate about Patria, maybe Eponine and her friends and little brother would still be living happily!

She swore that when she found that boy who played with guns, she would strangle him and send him to his friends in heaven. Eponine wouldn't be surprised if she found that Enjolras was on their top wanted list.

Groaning startled her from a corner. Eponine turned around, and cautiously peered around the corner of the Café. A lump a few feet away from her moved slightly, the shift surprising herald causing the brunette to shrink away back around the building. She found a piece of sharp wood and held it in front of her. Then Eponine summoned up her bravery and crept back around.

The lump moved again, exposing its head ever so slightly. Eponine gasped when she saw the messy dark curly hair with the sunken eyes, from years of drinking too much alcohol. They looked back at her, their eyes filled with more surprise than Eponine felt.

"Grantaire?" Eponine gasped in disbelief. Grantaire grinned at her, but then grimaced.

"Hi Eponine. Nice to you from heaven. I'm guessing you're here to take me up with you?" he rasped, then coughed up a bit of blood. "Don't worry. I'm ready for death, Apollo did say that he reckoned that one dag all my drinking would kill me off."

Eponine took in his words for a minute, then understood him.

"Grantaire, you're still alive. I'm not an angel."

"Then I'm hallucinating? That means I'm close to death."

"No! I'm for real! Grantaire, touch my hand!" Eponine cried. She offered her hand for him to feel, then he grinned sadly again.

"Yes, I'm most definitely alive. However, I'm so close to death. Please, let one of my friends stay with me while I die."

He turned over, exposing his stomach. Then Eponine saw the real damage done, four bullets lodged in him. "What?! You didn't tell me? Why are you so intent on death?"

"I cannot live with knowing that Apollo will never love me. Forgive me, Eponine." Grantaire murmured. Eponine felt herself crying again. She took hold of two of his arms, and began dragging him towards the nearest hospital.

"You're not dying on me. If you are, I'm killing you a second time. You have to live. You're my best friend."

"I love your spirit."

"Ewww."

All people could see was a skimpy looking girl dragging a half dead man twice her size in the light shower of the misty, gray rain.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I inserted some Grantaire/Eponine stuff, but they're supposed to be really close friends, so Eponine cares about him in the friendship way. I'll try to update as fast as I can!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Three Survivors

"Grantaire, where can we go? I don't have money to bring you to the hospital!" Eponine cried. She tugged at his arm, and he gave a cry of pain. "Oh, sorry." She said. Grantaire mumbled something that she couldn't understand. She continued to drag him along the pavement, tearing up his wet clothes.

Grantaire continued to mutter incoherent things that Eponine couldn't make out, but she knew for sure that he was repeating the same thing over and over, wanting her to understand what he was saying. It must be important, she thought.

"Say it louder, Grantaire, if you want me to hear you." Eponine complained. He glared at her as if saying, "I'm half dead, lost my energy, hungry, and bloodied, and you want me to scream?" She rolled her eyes at him. He finally gave in.

"En-ol-as." Grantaire managed. Eponine raised her eyebrows.

"You want me to take you to Enjolras' place? Are you kidding me? The National Guard is out for him, hunting him down every minute of the day. Do you really want to live in a fugitive's house, Grantaire?" Eponine exclaimed. He glared at her again. "Okay, okay. We'll go there." Eponine muttered.

Grantaire returned to his activity of muttering things. Eponine had a few problems, though. First of all, she didn't know where Enjolras' place was. Secondly, even if they got to Enjolras' place, how would they get medical help? Eponine was sure that Enjolras would be shot in a few places, and Grantaire was shot all over. Only she was alright, returning straight from heaven.

"Oh God, if my task was to save Grantaire, please let him live!" Eponine prayed up to the dark, cloudy sky. It was almost as if God was in her mind. My dear Eponine, a voice said in her head, yes, your task is to save someone that needs you the most. Grantaire may or may not be that person, depending on how you treat him. If you choose the wrong way, he may just enter my world. Be brave, Eponine. There's still one more person out there. Choose wisely.

The voice faded from her head, and Eponine knew immediately that those were not her thoughts. It was God speaking directly to her.

* * *

"This one looks dead. Leave him to be, he'll rot away eventually." A harsh voice said. A shoe kicked Enjolras multiple times before retreating. Luckily, he had passed out face down on the cobble stone, and the water from the Seine that splashed onto his clothes made him look even more dead, in some way, so the National Guard couldn't identify him as the leader of the Les Amis.

He turned his head slightly to make sure no Guard was still patrolling the street he was on. Quickly, he made his escape into an alleyway just in time before the same Guard came marching past. The Guard looked to his right. The dead body was there anymore!

"Hey! Gabriel! Wasn't there a dead body over there before, and now it's gone?" the Guard cried. The other Guard named Gabriel ran over. Enjolras' breath caught in his throat, waiting for Gabriel to answer. He saw him shrug.

"Probably when you kicked him, you loosened the body and it rolled into the Seine. That clears the street up even more, then." Both Guards laughed, and marched off, the serious expression returned to their face. The stomps echoed through Paris, the shoes like thunder and lightning on a rainy day, something that Enjolras was slightly terrified about when he was outside, but when he was inside, he felt safer.

Groans and whining came from down the street. Enjolras felt scared once more, and hid himself deeper into the darkness of the alley. He peered over the edge to see who was coming. A tiny figure was tugging at what seemed to be a body that was twice the size of them. As the figures came into light, Enjolras gasped. It was Eponine and Grantaire, the two people who he was certain were dead!

With Eponine's back turned to him, Enjolras quickly came out of hiding and grabbed hold of her shoulder, hand over her mouth, and dragged her into the alley, leaving Grantaire behind. He soon returned to fetch him as well. A hand came over and slapped arms, hard.

"Ow!" he cried. Eponine slapped him again on the arms, and started punching him over and over again.

"Let go of my friend! He's half dead! Let go of him! Let go!" Eponine shrieked, attacking his arms.

"Ow! Stop it! He's my friend too, he risked his life for mine!" Enjolras exclaimed. "Do you want the National Guard to discover you with your shrieking?"

Eponine finally stopped, and got a good look at him, staring at him coldly. Then when she recognized him, her face lit up. She snapped her fingers.

"Exactly the person I was looking for! I'm so sorry, Enjolras! I didn't recognize you! Look, Grantaire's half dead, and he recommended coming to you for assistance. So can you help us? Please?" Eponine begged. Enjolras sighed deeply.

"Okay, but we have to move quickly. We can't risk them discovering us!" Enjolras said. Eponine nodded, and picked up Grantaire arms. He winced in pain, but his eyes kept closed.

"Where to? Hurry! He's so close to- you know!" Eponine cried, tears starting to form. He understood why she wanted to save him. Grantaire was the one who made Eponine laugh on the rainiest days, comforted her on her days of misery, and simply joked around together whenever possible. Besides Marius, Grantaire was Eponine's best friend. Enjolras felt sympathy for the girl, and told her that they were going to his apartment, at least for now.

"They might look there later once they find out that I'm alive, so we'll need to move somewhere else. Come on, let's go before they discover us already!" Enjolras said. They lugged the heavy body to his apartment in silence. Rain started to pour, and the dark clouds covered the sky. Soon enough, Eponine and Enjolras were drenched from head to toe.

Enjolras quickly unlocked the door, and they stepped inside, making sure to lock the door tightly. It would hold the National Guard out for at least a while. Eponine was very worried. How would they get help? Enjolras seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Eponine, you go run to the nearest doctor, since the National Guard won't recognize you that well due to you pretending to be a boy. I'll set Grantaire on a bed." Enjolras quickly ordered. Eponine dashed back out into the rain, covering her head even though it didn't help much.

She was worried. Would Grantaire live to see the next day?


End file.
